Secret to Success: Make Real Friends

Starting up as an entrepreneur or a freelancer isn’t easy. Harder still is going at it alone.

Doing business entails its own problems and risks, along with new things to understand. The same can be said with doing away with boring desk jobs and cutting the cord on nine-to-fives — there will be hardships along the path to security and success.

However, no one ever said you should remain untethered. Making business connections will mean some perks but it won’t speak the right volumes to many. Do away with defining friends as only for “business” or “professional” reasons. Instead, try making real friends and get into discovering what the person is all about. People will work with those they trust and those who they know won’t cheat them of their hard-earned bucks. They also generally work better with those they know are hungry for growth and success.

The next time you meet a freelancer, why not do a little interview? What is five to ten minutes of your time in exchange for getting to know your potential partner? Ask questions that will help make you decide on how much autonomy you are willing to give the freelancer.

Likewise, if you’re a freelancer, ask your employer questions. An exchange of small details should help you align your insights with what the employer needs, and will also help you find the best way to work along both your terms.

Take some time off “business” and get to know the person on the other end of the line. That person isn’t a machine churning out orders or a robot that automatically churns out work.

In this day and age of digital hyperconnectedness, do not forget that people are people with their own devils they deal with everyday. Make friends. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.